Transferring- railroad-cars from one track to another



IINITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOSIAH ASHENFELDER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRANSFERRING RAILROAD-CARS FROM: ONE TRACK T0 ANOTHER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,284, dated October 9, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosIAH ASHENFELDER, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Transferring Railroad-Cars From One rlrack to Another; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in the employment of a supplementary rail so., arranged 1n respect to the sidings or turnouts of railroads, and the wheels of the cars of the different lines of road, that the wheels of the cars intended for the straight line of road are allowed to pass on unobstructed, and those intended for the siding or turnout are moved into the deviating line of road.

To enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and' operation.

Figure l is a plan, with a pair of ordinary wheels upon the track. Fig. 2 is the same view, with a pair of wheels for turning the curve upon the track. Fig. 3 is the same as Fig. 2, with the exception, that the wheels are in a different position. Fig. fl is a section through the line 1 2, Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrow I. Fig. is a section through the line 3-92, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow 2. Fig. G is a section through the line, 5-6 Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrow l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

A, is a rail forming one side of the straight line of road.

A1, is a rail forming a portion of the opposite side of the straight and the inside curve of the deviating line of road.

B, is the guide rail of the curve.

A2, is a` rail forming the continuation of the straight line of road of which the straight portion of A1 forms part.

C, is the outside rail of the curve, having an inside beveled edge, y commencing at the point and from thence gradually working into the flat of the top of the rail, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and an intervening space, Z) between its point and the rail A.

D, is a supplementary rail, with a side, a;

inclining in the direction of the curve, and

an intervening space, c, between it and the Fig. 2.

The operation is as follows: Vhen it is desired to use the straight line of road the wheels, E are employed, the anges of which pass freely through the passages, a, and Y) allowing the wheels to continue on uninterrupted. But when the siding or turnout is to be used, the pair of wheels, F is employed. As the wheels advance, the flange of the wheel, H, which is greater than the width of the space or opening, (t, strikes the inclined side, :c of the supplementary rail, D, by which it is moved against the side of the rail, Al and forced to enter the curve. The transfer is perfected by the beveled edge, g/ of the rail, C, which at the point of the rail meets the outside of the flange of the wheel, G and keeps the tiange of the wheel, I-I in contact with the side of the rail, A1 until it has passed the point of the guide rail, B and fairly entered the curve. In turning out in an opposite direction a reversed arrangement only is required.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

The employment, in Connection with the sidings or turnouts of railroads, of a supplementary inclined rail, in combination with car wheels so constructed in respect to said supplementary rail, which is so arranged in respect to the rails of the straight and of the deviating line of road, that the wheels are moved from the influence of the rails of the one line of road to that of the. other, as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

.IOSIAI-I ASI-IENFELDER.

lVitnesses HORACE SEE, WILLIAMS GLE. 

